Loose Ends
by waterbirds
Summary: The war may be over, but their troubles were still present. While the ties between the three became stronger than ever, their unresolved pasts towered above them. (Post Kingdom Hearts III)
1. Axel

The trio sat tall atop the clocktower, the sun's bright light quickly melting the freshly bought sea-salt ice cream. Roxas was almost finished with his, while Xion and Axel still had ways to go. It had been three and a half days since their grand reunion, yet they all found themselves to be nearly inseparable from each other.

"I still can't believe we're back together." Roxas said, breaking the silence. "It feels like it has been forever since the organization.". He heard a chuckle from his spiky red-haired friend, who was busy admiring the scenery. At least Roxas thought he was.

"Heh…yeah. It certainly is surreal, isn't it?" Axel responded, waving his ice cream around. When he turned his head over to look at Roxas's reaction, he was surprised to see not only one confused look, but two.

"…Surreal?" Xion asked, the word taking her out of her own thoughts. The smallest grin appeared on Axels face in return as he brought his knee up and rested his arm on it.

_I guess they haven't changed much, have they?_

"Yeah, surreal. It's kind of like Roxas said…unbelievable." He paused, directing his full attention to Xion. "Out of this world, got it memorized?".

His catchphrase put a smile on her face, an expression Axel wasn't used to seeing on her in the past. If he were being honest, almost all his memories of the past that included her were depressing.

Still, after getting them back, he began to cherish those memories.

As unpreventable as the situation was, Axel couldn't forgive himself for forgetting about her. He knew that he never _completely_ forgot, his training sessions with Kairi proved that much. Yet even after requesting that Kairi refer to him as Axel, he never fully remembered Xion until he met her again in the labyrinth.

And as happy as that moment in the labyrinth was, it brought an equal amount of regret back to the oblivious boy who thought his only best friend was Roxas for the longest time. The moment the girl's name escaped Sora's mouth, all of Axel's memories of her rushed back into his head.

The good memories, like his elaborate plan to help her get back the keyblade, and of course the conversation where the three talked about being best friends, were greatly overshadowed by all the troubling ones that came towards the end of their organization days.

The ones that brought extreme guilt to his mind.

Axel watched every day as the organization used those two as slaves to collect hearts, all the way up until they decided only one of them had to live. He watched as his best friends nearly killed each other on a rigged mission, which would have succeeded had he not been there. And he watched as Roxas left the organization, now remembering the true reason why.

Axel recalled that he personally never heard much from Xemnas about his friends, at least compared to the amount of input from someone else.

The way Isa—no, _Saix_—treated Roxas and Xion was by far his biggest dilemma.

Four days ago, Axel only had the memories of all the hard times Saix had given Roxas, but now Xion's depressing story was back. If he had a dime for every time he heard 'good for nothing puppet' come out of Saix's mouth, he'd be able to buy a lifetime supply of the sea-salt ice cream in his hand.

And now, the shadow of the person that gave them all hell and was finally dealt with days ago, was becoming a part of their lives again.

Axel easily noted Isa's spot on the edge of the clocktower, which was next to him and away from everyone else. Axel also noted that from what he'd seen, Isa has had little to no conversations with anyone but him. Granted, Isa had only been up there twice with the trio, and only once with the other three, but even then, he can't remember if Isa even said a word to Xion.

Why was he even surprised?

It's not like Roxas and Xion can just move on easily from that past when it is the only thing they know. Those few times Isa was around, they talked very little to even each other. Whenever they did mention something, like the time Roxas brought up ice cream flavors to him, it was always short and…awkward.

Awkward was the kind way of saying it, even Axel felt like the organization massively loosened his previous bond with Isa. Why wouldn't it?

As for the other two, he could see why they chose silence over bonding. Roxas's scenario was self-explanatory, and Xion's…was rather fractured to Axel.

It occurred to him that he had no clue what Xehanort or any of his followers, specifically Saix, did to get Xion to fight for him again. Given that she had a heart now, which gave her the ability to feel…they could have done anything to her. Axel's felt his heart drop, he knew the organization would have done anything to reach their goal.

The image of them torturing Xion was one that immediately plagued his mind.

Goosebumps visibly made their way up along his arms and his low heart began to race. She had been back for god knows how long now, and he could have helped her.

He was _supposed_ to help and protect them—

"Hey, are you alright? Your ice cream is melting.".

-Yet he nearly killed them both in a weeks' time.

"Axel?".

"Huh?". He snapped back to reality and quickly turned back towards his friends, their previous looks of confusion being replaced with ones of concern. "Guess I'm not that hungry after all." Axel told them, trying his best to disregard his thoughts. But he should have known by now that lying doesn't work on them.

"You're shaking…" Roxas commented at the rare sight, his eyes focused on the propped-up hairs. For one that dealt with fire and used to wear a black coat everywhere, Roxas would have thought goosebumps on Axel were nonexistent. "Is it that cold?".

Axel didn't respond. He was too busy looking past Roxas, at the girl his memory had erased. Speculations filled his mind while she looked back at him dead in the eye, her worried look still clear as daylight. Axel finally realized he was doing what he did with Kairi and turned his head back towards the sun.

But that didn't stop his speculations, nor did it take away his friends' attention. He could easily tell Xion got little to no sle—

"Axel, please tell us if something is wrong." Xion said, breaking him out of his thoughts a second time.

"Yeah, we're best friends! Like you said, they tell each other everything." Roxas backed her up in the only way he knew, thinking of what his opposite would say. The two waited, listening to the deep breath that escaped Axel.

"I just don't want anything to happen to us again.".

A moment of silenced reached the group, their thoughts becoming darker as the past made its way back.

"Even if something were to happen, we'd have each other's back." Roxas replied in a confident tone. But he watched Axel sit his ice cream down and put a hand on his forehead.

"That wasn't how it worked in the past." Axel stated.

"But we—"

"Roxas, I nearly killed you!" Axel yelled before a full response could come out of the blonde's mouth. He hadn't looked over at either of them yet.

"And Xion, I…" he paused, moving his hand down to rub his eyes. "I only made your life harder. Then I forgot you ever existed.".

"You did what you thought was right…for us." Xion made out. Finally directing his head to his right, Axel saw watery eyes all around.

Silence made its way back to the group. They all found themselves closer, their shoulders touching each other. Was this why they had been inseparable? Pain?

"We all did what we thought we had to do." Roxas said, thinking back to his two infamous endings with the two. "But we are together now.".

"Yeah…I feel better when I'm around you two." The black-haired girl told them, relaxing herself against Roxas. "So, I'm not going to let the past ruin us.". A small smile appeared on her face, the two boys noticing her eyes were closed. "Didn't you save us both, Axel?".

"Kind of…" Axel replied, his sense of responsibility coming back to him as he continued to look at his two friends. Seeing Xion's body fully leaning against the side of Roxas was both a newly pleasant and scary sight to see, given their current location.

Did the horrible past not haunt them as much as it did to him? Unless...those two had their own troubles that they hid from him.

Axel had his theory on how Xion disappeared, but _he_ seemed fine for the most part. Maybe, they were better at hiding their problems than him.

Nevertheless, he knew they were right. The future was everything now. More importantly, it was a chance to correct the mistakes that haunted him. To help them with those hidden troubles.

The group's conversation came to a halt, and the silence became peace. Seconds flew by, quickly turning into minutes. Soon, the light in the sky had nearly faded.

Axel wrapped his arm around the two when he recognized Xion had not reopened her eyes and held them close, reminiscing about their hug in the labyrinth.

No problem would separate them again, no organization would terrorize them again. But…on the occasion something bad does happen to them?

Well, he'll always be there to bring them back.

* * *

I love this trio so much, and I strongly feel like their pasts would put them in some form of isolation from the other groups. At the very least, I think it would make their relationships with the others harder because of the past struggles they went through.

Roxas and Xion around Isa, with Axel realizing the emptiness in the air? That's difficult.

tellonym: waterbird


	2. Roxas

WARNING: There's nudity in this chapter.

Happy early Valentines day, enjoy!

* * *

_Why? Why did the keyblade choose you?!_

_. . ._

_Shut up!_

_. . ._

_I have to find this Sora person, and freeing Kingdom Hearts is the only way! I want Xion bac—_

**BOOM**

Roxas's body flung forward, launching him off his bed and onto the carpet, landing on his bare stomach.

"Again…?". Picking himself up, he looked at the source of the sound, the window. It was downpouring, and he was without doubt that a clash of thunder woke him. Although, his mind was still set on the very memorable dream.

"At least it isn't as bad as the other one." He said out loud and began to brush off his chest. Roxas recently began sleeping without a shirt due to Axel telling him to try it out, saying it will help him sleep better. So far, he certainly found it felt comfortable.

Getting back into his bed, he gazed out the blurry window, listening to the rain pound against the roof. Why did he keep dreaming about his past fights?

The blonde was surprised to find out two days ago that the past haunted Axel as much as it did him, especially now knowing his friend's view on their very own fight. Yes, Axel almost killed him. But at that point, Roxas had little to no memory of his red-haired friend. Xion wasn't a factor either.

But when it came to his fight with Riku…Xion _was_ the factor. Roxas was aware that the overall situation would be tragic if he succeeded, considering Sora's comeback would have been delayed. That didn't change how he felt about Riku.

On one hand, he was aware Riku did what he thought was right, bring back his friend. On the other hand, Riku brought him to his temporary demise, sealing him away in Sora until he was brought back just the other day. But Roxas's defeat was just a small part on why he had mixed feelings about Riku.

He is fully aware Riku was the individual the organization identified as the unknown man running around in their uniform, and he remembers the time Xion went with him. When she came back, she was questioning her existence.

Roxas knew in the back of his head that their conditions would have probably got rid of her as it did to him eventually, since they were half-Sora…so why did it have to end the way it did? Whatever Riku told her, it was enough to send her back ready to sacrifice herself…

And then Roxas was forced to 'sacrifice' her instead. A day later, Riku sent him to simulation hell. He destroyed any chance he had of trying to save Xion. He destroyed everything Roxas cherished over the course of a year. Everything.

The rain got louder, and a yawn escaped Roxas. He was tired, but his mind was still on a trail of confusion.

Why has Riku not contacted Roxas yet about helping with the missing Sora? He is his nobody after all. Or, was his nobody. Did Riku have something against him as well?

Another yawn escaped him.

"I'll just worry about it some other time…" Roxas told himself and rolled onto his side, closing his eyes. He was in no position to question Riku at one in the morning, or anyone that helped in the fight. They helped him get back the same room he lived at in the virtual world after all.

But before he could drift off into space again, Roxas heard another bang. One that was much lower than the previous bang. His eyes opened, looking out the window. He heard it once more, scratching his head.

"The…door?".

He threw his covers up and stumbled out of bed once more, making a short journey across the carpet to the door. He was probably just hearing thin—

"X-Xion?!".

"H-hi Roxas…sorry if I woke you.".

Roxas quickly examined the girl, who was wearing the infamous black coat. She was completely drenched and shivering, making his heart race.

"Come inside, I've been awake." He said in a quick manner, stepping aside so she could enter. He walked over to his blue lamp and turned it on, immediately looking back at his friend. "Is the storm keeping you awake?". Midway through the sentence, he noticed her eyes.

They were puffy and red as could be.

"Sort of." Xion replied, pushing her hood down. Her hair wasn't as wet, at least compared to the amount of water her clothes were dispensing. Roxas noted that her reactions, and even responses, just seemed delayed and energy-less. How fatigued was she?

"Was it a nightmare?" he asked, peaking around the room for something to stop her shivering. She didn't respond, as she was too busy looking at a scar on his chest. In return, he remembered he had no spare blankets anywhere. So, he stopped, and once again walked over to Xion. "I just had one, about a fight with Riku." he admitted. Roxas saw her expression change to a confused one, with her head slightly tilting.

"You too…?". He nodded. As tired as he was, he noted the 'too'. Did Riku actually dare harm—

"Roxas, I've been getting nightmares…every time I sleep." She said, closing her red eyes, "The fights, the pain, it all comes back…".

He returned with silence, concerned about the drenched girl. Why didn't he know what to do?

What would Axel do? He'd say a catchphrase or a joke of course…but this wasn't the time for that. She came to him, not Axel.

He was willing to say whatever was on his mind at this point, so luckily his mind was thinking about the last time she surprised him.

"Did you have a nightmare on the clocktower, when you fell asleep next to me…?".

"No." Xion responded, quicker than Roxas expected. And his next idea came with it.

"Um…do you want to stay the night with me then?". He didn't rush her at all, she was rubbing her eyes and he could tell she was thinking. Still, he was dying to know when the last time she got some sleep was.

"If it's ok with you Roxas, then sure." She responded, the smallest smile appearing on her face. "But I can't wear this, so I'll just go back and get—

**BOOM**

The girl flinched hard at the strike of lightning, her own eyes showing concern. They listened to the rain pound the ceiling even harder.

"I think you should stay." Roxas told her, looking out the window next to his bed, and then back at Xion. She hadn't moved much since she entered, so the carpet around her was darker than normal. He did notice that she was wearing some type of gown under the coat, but even that looked like it was soaked.

Yet, he was aware that she was cold, tired, and his own body was beginning to hurt seeing her like this. He couldn't stand seeing her in any type of pain, really.

For the time of day, his mind was still all over the place. He has come this far though, so he'll make it work, regardless of how tired and stupid his thoughts are.

"The gown you are wearing, is it drenched too?" he asked, just to brainstorm.

"Yeah." She responded, Roxas trying his hardest to think of anything.

"Can you just sleep with them off?".

After a moment of silence, a rush of blood went straight through Roxas's head, and he was no longer tired. How did he…come up with that?

Roxas immediately looked at Xion's face, who's sleepy expression remained but her eyes were focused on her coat.

"I can.".

"Are you su—" Roxas started but cut himself off to the sound of the jacket's zipper going down. She kicked off her shoes and gently placed the jacket onto the floor after balling it up, revealing a short black gown that was practically glued to her with water. Thus, Roxas watched as she began to struggle to take it off.

_I guess this works…_

"Do you need help?" he asked, getting closer.

"I think." She responded, struggling even more. He grabbed a hold of one end, and slowly they tore it off. When the gown hit on the ground, Roxas was surprised to see only skin.

Xion took a step back, her bare body immediately shaking of more cold chills. Roxas stood stunned, but the awkwardness didn't last long when he looked at her half-open eyes. His arm found its way around her back, helping her balance. Her skin was freezing, and slightly wet, but it was also soft as could be.

Almost on cue, Roxas finally spotted a towel on top of his dresser. He led the half-asleep girl over, reached up to get the towel, and started drying her off to the best of his ability. Admittedly, he was too focused on making sure Xion didn't fall asleep to pay attention to what parts of her he was drying. She helped too, at least when it came to her hair at the end.

Throwing the towel down, he took one full glance at the girl to see if there was any more water.

A glance that finally hit him with a realization of what he was staring at.

"Let's get some sleep…" he said, slowly walking her over to his bed. When they reached it, he let her get in first as he turned off the lamp. Once she was semi-comfortable, he laid next to her on the edge of the bed and pulled the covers over.

As the minutes passed, Xion found herself lying on her side towards Roxas, with her head buried deep into his chest. In return, he placed his hand on her lower back, and kept her close.

"Thanks…Roxas…" she mumbled, shifting one more time and closing her eyes. He noticed the shivering had stopped, replacing itself with warmth.

Roxas looked down to see a smile on the girl's face, similar to the one she had on the clocktower. Besides her face he felt her small breasts pushing up against him, an embarrassingly pleasant feeling for the boy. He refrained from addressing the bump on the lower half of his body, and instead tried to describe the emotion he was feeling…

It certainly had awkwardness in it, but the feeling was unique since he only felt it when he was around Xion. It was a feeling he couldn't feel when he was without a heart, a feeling that was so warm he never wanted it to go away.

He peaked at the clock, which was now a little past two, and figured he should sleep. He moved his hand a little lower, made sure Xion was as close as can be, and shut his eyes.

They'd defeat the nightmares together.

* * *

I tried my best to keep them in character, writing Roxas was certainly intriguing. hope you liked it.

\- waterbird


	3. Xion

"Three sea-salt ice creams please!" the black-haired girl quickly said, her words unable to be heard by anyone but the cashier.

She knew that Market Street at noon was overly-crowded, but never personally experienced it until now. Oddly, it was much more intimidating than she thought it would be. Faces she had not seen once since her very recent return populated all the shops, streets, and any other attractions there were. Glancing over at the Bistro did not help her during her wait.

_Maybe I am just another nobody in all this madness…_

"Here you go." the cashier said, handing her all three in one hand. Xion paid them with the little money she had left, and immediately hurried off to anywhere but Market Street.

As she walked, her eyes couldn't help but move towards the sparking blue of the ice cream instead of where she was headed. It always reminded her of those two.

They made her feel real.

Axel's humor never failed to cheer her up in any situation, and she was glad he was always there to answer her questions, no matter how awkward they were. And Roxas…

Roxas made her feel safe.

The previous rainy night was still very vague in memory to Xion, but even without remembering how she ended up cuddling against his warmth, she knew he did it to help her from her fears. The same fears Axel mentioned on the clocktower, fears of the past.

As much as Xion tried to put the past behind her, she couldn't. She'd lost days of sleep over the organization, and fighting her best friends, and being forgotten, and…

She stopped.

Xion tried to control her breathing, taking slow deep breaths. Her head was still in the direction of the ice cream, but her eyes were now focused on the golden texture below her feet.

The lonely Sandlot was not a place she visited often, so it took her a moment to reroute the way to her destination. She wouldn't want her surprise to melt before she saw them—

"That ice cream for us?".

Xion turned around to the sound of the voice, rubbing her eye with her spare hand. Across the sand was a lone group of three, two boys and one girl. They stood in a triangle formation, a tall muscular boy and silver-haired girl on the sides, while the one that had Xion's attention stood in the middle. He had a white coat that ran down to his feet, a blue vest which didn't cover his stomach, and a black cap on.

"It's for my friends." Xion told him, speaking just loud enough for them to hear her.

"Then why are you on my grounds?" the boy responded angrily, not taking his eyes off her.

"Yeah! Seifer runs this place, y'know?" his muscular goon followed, a nasty grin coming to his face.

"Right." the silver-haired girl finished for them, her facial expression staying the same. Xion's expression on the other hand, was one of confusion and slight fret.

"But this Sandlot is open for everyone..." Xion responded, keeping the eye contact. Seifer tilted his head in return, smiling before speaking his next words.

"So are the streets, but that wouldn't have stopped me from jumping you in the rain last night.".

The fatigue mood of the girl briefly disappeared, her muscles becoming tense.

"Now if you want to leave…unmarked, I'll need to have that ice cream first. Talking to losers like you makes me hungry." Seifer stated, peaking over his shoulders. "Rai, Fuu, you two hungry as well?".

"Course'." Fuu answered for both of them.

"Well, are you just gonna stand there or—"

Xion's spare hand was no longer empty. In it was a blade, the handle and tip shaped like a key, the grip around it tight. The three faces opposing her marveled at its presence, until a laugh came out from their leader.

"Only Sora has one of those!" he yelled, laughing mid-sentence.

"Well—"

"It's just a sham!".

Immediately stumbling through the rest of her interrupted sentence, Xion froze. The ice cream made its way onto the ground, along with her knees, and she found herself on a bridge facing a silver-haired boy in a black coat.

"I'm not a SHAM!" she yelled at the figure who was now charging across the bridge, two figures right behind him. Xion's unstable and shaky hand held the keyblade for her life, ready to swing despite her position.

But in the blink of an eye, the bridge turned back to sand, and a massive line of fire rose out of the ground between both groups.

Seifer, Fuu and Rai all jumped back systematically, Seifer missing his landing out of panic. The two grounded hearts looked up at the fire dividing them, which disappeared at the snap of a newcomer.

"If you got a bone to pick, it better be with me.". Seifer quickly picked himself up and faced the spiky red-haired boy, who had a clear angry look on his face.

"How the hell can you set sand on fire?!" the boy questioned, slowly stepping back.

"I didn't. Sorry to ruin the magic." He exclaimed, a grin appearing on his face. "Now, unless you're looking for a fight, you're gonna get out of here. Got it memorized?".

Without response, Seifer and his gang ran as fast as they could, keeping their embarrassment a secret. The man of fire turned around and grabbed Xion's hand, helping her regain herself.

"Thanks Axel.". Her head was still facing down, glaring at the fallen ice cream.

"Next rounds on me." Axel told her, making sure she was fully composed before he let her go. Xion sighed and started wiping the sand off her legs, a blank expression taking over. Axel watched as the keyblade on the ground disappeared, the girl finally turning her head up towards him.

She could see the worry in his eyes, she'd been able to see it for days. But…how was she supposed to tell him?

"Let's get out of here. Have you seen Roxas anywhere?" Axel asked the girl, who felt warmer at the mention of Roxas.

"He's catching up on sleep, so I went to get ice cream for a surprise…" she responded, not realizing how gloomy she sounded. The sadness in the air became greater.

"How has your sleep been?" he questioned, taking the girl by surprise.

"I, um…". Xion began to wonder if Axel heard anything Seifer said, especially the sentence that took her off guard. "It's getting better.".

"Good." Axel said, letting out a breath of air. "Let's get that ice cream now.".

So they went.

Xion was astonished at how much of a difference fifteen minutes made, the previous overcrowded Market Street now one of familiarity. Nevertheless, she still stayed close to Axel.

But walking through the underpass near the forest entrance gave them both a memory they had hoped to forget. When Xion ran away, she fought Axel here. She held her keyblade against the boy she cared for so much. She could have—

"I'm sorry.".

Xion watched Axel scratch his head at his own words, as if he was carefully trying to think about what to say. "I…never said it on the clocktower.".

"I'm sorry too." Xion replied, her words bringing back Axel's smile. He started to walk to the ice-cream shop but stopped when he noticed the usual quiet footsteps of his best friend were unnoticeable. Turning around, Axel saw she was still standing in that infamous spot. Thus, he walked back to her, this time placing himself directly in front of her.

"Axel...why can't I stop thinking about it…?" The girl asked, rubbing her eyes again. Axel put both of his hands on her respective shoulders, making her look up at him.

"The past doesn't just go away. You gotta fight it." he told her in his best casual tone, the grin making its way back to his face. "Luckily, that's what best friends are for.".

"They fight the past?". Xion felt Axel remove his hands off her shoulders, then watched him push her hair away from her eyes.

"They help each other with anything.". Axel's correction was met with silence, patience being his key factor here. Admittedly, he didn't know what exactly it was she couldn't stop thinking about, but he was trying his hardest to help her anyway. He owed her.

Fortunately, he thought he might know how to help.

"Xion, what's on your mind?".

The girl hesitated, but Axel didn't mind. He stood by her side, ready to go off any possible response she gave him. And in doing so, he got exactly the opening he wanted.

"Everything goes away when i'm with Roxas." Xion finally admitted, staring curiously at Axel. She had no idea why she felt nervous talking about her solution, more so why her heart was beating faster than usual. "I feel warm and fuzzy around him...and my heart just…".

"Races?" Axel finished for her, his unsurprising look confusing the girl. Xion nodded, staring at her friend who now had his hand on his chin, thinking. It only lasted for about three seconds.

"I think you might like him.".

"Like him? Like-"

"_Love."._

Xion blinked rapidly at the word, just hearing it gave her butterflies in her stomach. Her best friend's arm wrapped around her back, his grin hiding from Xion. He began to walk, which forced her to finally move, but the questions in her head remained.

"Are you sure?" Xion asked, this time being the one to not receive a response. "Like Kairi and Sora...but with me and Roxas?".

"Maybe." her friend quickly said. Xion found herself solely thinking about Roxas, secretly reminiscing about the previous night. Did he feel the same?

Was love the reason he remembered her name in the labyrinth? Of course, it could have been because they were best friends...but still.

_What if he does..._

"I mean love is...it's-"

"Three sea-salt ice creams please.". After hearing Axel's friendly tone, Xion couldn't believe they were already there. The same cashier from just a while ago stood behind the counter, quickly handing Axel the ice cream. He paid the same amount Xion had, thanked them, then dragged the black-haired girl with him.

"Axel, do you think he feels the same about me?" She asked, soaking in her guilt and awkwardness. Axel's eyebrow went up, his face completely subtle.

"I'll get turned into a dusk if I tell you." he responded, tasting his ice cream.

"But they aren't even around anymore!" Xion said angrily, her curiosity at its peak. "Why can't you-

"Hey Roxas!".

_Huh?_

Like a deer in headlights, Xion froze when she turned to see the blonde-haired boy walking towards them.

"Hey guys." Roxas said, approaching them both. "What are you up to…?".

"Going to get you. Xion came up with this great plan to go up to the clocktower and eat ice cream!" Axel told the boy, a confused look appearing on his face.

"Like what we always do?" Roxas responded, feet away from the speechless girl.

"Doesn't make it any less great." Axel stated, handing them both their ice creams. Once again, he wrapped his arm around Xion, but his other one went around Roxas now, keeping them close. A guilty smile escaped them both when they saw Axel's ice cream stick was close to empty, and they marched along to the clocktower.

* * *

Finishing their ice creams, Roxas and Xion looked over at Axel, who stood up and stretched. "I gotta go take care of some things." he said, startling the silent two.

"We just got here…" Roxas told him, trying to peak down and read the clock.

"I'll be back later maybe, it's only the middle of the day." Axel responded, walking past him.

All it took was a tap on Xion's shoulder to realize what he was doing. She wanted to give him a look of death, a 'thank you' for helping her earlier, or any word she could, but when she turned around, he was gone.

Silence made its way between the two for what felt like minutes, until it was finally broken with a thought they both were dying to know more about.

"Are you feeling better?".

Xion looked over at the blonde, who sat his empty stick down on the ledge.

"Better than I was…" Xion said, shivering at the memory of the rainy coldness. "Thanks again.". Her tone was light, she wanted to thank him a million times, but he opened his mouth before she could.

"I'm just sorry I couldn't um...come up with a better solution." Roxas admitted, looking at her clothing.

"Actually...I think it was fine.". Her cheeks turned red, and his face turned redder. "But...I don't think I can let you go empty-handed.".

Their eyes connected, and Roxas's world came to a stop. "Xio-"

"Close your eyes.". The boy obeyed, his hands sweating at the quick escalation of the conversation.

"Xion I-".

He was cut off by a warm pressing against his lips.

His eyes blasted open, the girl next to him was now closer than before, blushing with anxiety. Roxas wrapped both of his arms around her, making them fall back onto the ledge. Laying on their sides, Xion couldn't help but giggle.

"What?" he asked, his heart beating as fast as hers.

"You looked so scared!" Xion said, a long-awaited smile appearing on her face.

"So did you!".

"You're blushing more.".

"Oh yeah?".

Roxas pulled her closer, giving her another kiss of his own.

"Better?".

"I think.".

The two laid in place, the bright light of the afternoon sun shining down on them.

"All my problems go away when i'm with you." Xion flat out told him, closing her eyes once again. She could feel the happiness of Roxas without looking at him.

"Same.".

His eyelids matched hers, and they cuddled much like before, this time enjoying each other over sleep.

. . .

_Clap_

"Xion?".

_Clap_

"Roxas why are you-".

_Clap_

The two immediately re-opened their eyes to see a pair of black boots next to them, and recognized they weren't Xion's. Embarrassment filled the air as they both faced up, a red-haired boy looking down on them with a signature grin on his face.

"Looks like I got my work done early!" he said, watching the two faces erupt with red. "And it only took me ten minutes of standing behind a wall.".

Axel glanced away from their widened eyes, stepped over his best friends, and this time truly headed for the exit.

"Oh, what would I do without you two…".

* * *

AS much as I love her, there is no way Xion doesn't have some form of ptsd haunting her. Luckily, she's under good protection.


	4. Trio

The open gates of the mansion towered over the three motionless bodies standing in front of it, the historic building's aura bringing all of them discomfort. After all, the only thing the mansion ever did for any of them was cause unforgettable pain, even in the very spot they were all standing at.

Roxas thought about mistaking Xion as a heartless and fighting her, which would have ended terribly if Axel had not interfered. And sadly, that interference wasn't the worst experience Axel had in front of the gates.

Axel only remembered his final fight with Xion, when he was ordered to bring her back to the organization. This was the last place he talked to her before her disappearance, and the first memory that came running back to his head when she returned. A memory that ended with him beating the shit out of her.

The two looked in the middle of them to see Xion staring straight ahead at the doors, trying to forget the physical and emotional pain she'd received by running away here. The worried look on her face told them everything.

A familiar arm wrapped around Xion, causing her to flinch. Axel immediately realized she was likely experiencing another flashback but watched the horror on her face fade away once she recognized she was in Roxas's grasp. That calmed her friends down a little, especially Axel.

Ever since he purposely caught them a few days prior, Axel noticed they've been more open around him. They never acted extremely romantic or anything, but it was the little details that he made note of. The way they glared at each other, how they always walked next to each other, and even comforting each other right in front of him then. It all made him begin to feel more...responsible for the two. Even more responsible than he felt during their organization days.

Luckily, he had Roxas to help Xion with her trauma, but what if he was secretly hurt as well? What if something were to happen to either of them…?

No, he wouldn't let that happen ever again.

"I'm sure Naminé will be glad to see us again." Axel mentioned, giving motion to the group. Thankfully, the reason for their revisiting of the mansion was better than all of the reasons they had in the past. An invitation to hang out with Naminé sounded like the only offer that would bring any of them back there. After all, they hadn't seen her since everyone went to the beach.

"Yeah." Xion replied. Following a long hesitation, her body gradually began to walk towards the mansion doors, with her hands clutching onto the two people she trusted herself with the most.

She didn't bother mentioning how many figures she spotted behind the blinds to Naminé's room.

* * *

The first glance of the interior took them all by surprise. The previously destroyed furniture was removed, the walls were halfway coated in a shade of white that reminded them of Naminé's dress, while the unfinished portion was still colored the old eerie red, and all the rubble and broken glass was gone. Rags and sheets laid around some of the walls, dried paint stains on them.

"She did all of this by herself?" Roxas asked out loud, trying to spot all the differences. He hadn't heard anything from Naminé the past week, which was odd given their past. Lately, his mind had come up with its own theories on the lack of communication, but he constantly pushed those aside in fear that those theories could be true.

"I doubt it, we have only been back for a week. That includes Naminé as well." Axel stated, gently touching the wall to see his finger turn white. Roxas walked up next to him and examined the fresh smudge, grinning at his friend.

"Way to ruin her hard work, Axel." he jokingly remarked, watching Axel quickly pick up a rag.

"It's not dry, meaning she's home. Got it memorized?" Axel responded with a little anger, but quickly cooled down when the paint was off. "She's probably in her roo—"

"Xion?".

By instinct Axel immediately cut himself off to Roxas's interruption and looked over at the girl to see her focused on an old brown piece of paper laid out on a table in the center of the room.

The two gathered around the table with her and examined the paper, which turned out to be as interesting as it was mysterious.

"Ultima?" Roxas said, reading the first line. It didn't take him long to realize the title was the only word he could decipher. He turned to his red-haired friend and saw a perplexed look underneath his squinted eyes, letting Roxas know he wasn't alone.

"I think it's a keyblade." Xion hypothesized, breaking out of her silence.

"If it is, it takes a lot to make it." Axel claimed, going down a bullet list of what seemed like materials. "Maybe it could help us find Sora and—"

The sound of gentle footsteps stopped Axel from finishing. He directed his attention towards the left staircase and saw a fragile blonde girl with her signature white dress on, her crystal blue eyes staring back at her guests.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." She told them, placing her hands behind her back. Her words caught Roxas and Xion off guard, making them bolt up from the paper.

"Hey Naminé, it's no big deal." Axel replied, holding back a laugh. "I like what you're doing with the place. Fits your style.".

"It's still a work in progress, but we are almost there." Naminé told him, looking around the room. Her eyes stopped when they contacted Roxas.

And his heart stopped when he interpreted the message behind her glance.

It was not the same genuine stare that they shared after Sora defeated Xemnas the first time, but rather…

One with temper.

The short stare-down was intercepted by Xion walking between each other's vision towards the stairs, and by the time Roxas could see Naminé again her head was facing a different direction.

"How have you been, Xion?" Naminé questioned. Roxas noted her eyes wouldn't stop blinking.

"Better." Xion replied, stepping up to the first step to match Naminé.

"I never told you sorry…" Naminé admitted, her first meeting with the girl popping back into her mind.

"It's alright." the black-haired girl told her, leaving Roxas and Axel confused. All they knew was that the sentence made the expression on both the girls faces worse. "You tried to help.".

Silence arrived between the two, making Roxas and Axel peak over at each other, and it was almost as if they could read each other's heads.

_We need to find a way to avoid this topic. At least for today._

"Hey Naminé..." the red-haired boy called her, scratching his head. Naminé turned from Xion, giving her full attention to an awkward Axel. Fortunately, a light bulb appeared over his head. "Can we head up to your other room? My legs are still killing me, from, uh...the battle." He slowly asked, telling a partial truth.

And like before, Roxas couldn't help but notice the abnormal reaction of Naminé. But he wasn't the only one that noticed.

"We can...but—"

"Great, thanks Naminé." Axel responded, feeling rude on the inside.

Nevertheless, he began walking up the stairs, leaving the other three in place. Roxas used this time to get near the stairs, flocking next to Xion. They both felt the need to wait for the blonde to go up with them, just she was too busy staring at the back of Axel.

"Naminé, are you okay?".

Roxas blurted it out of concern, an unexplainable feeling coming to him. That was the first sentence he had said to her in forever.

"I hope." the blonde responded in a low tone, then walked up the stairs behind Axel. Xion and Roxas let the two words sink in, hesitating to ask her anything else. Instead, they followed along, sticking to each other on the short trip to Naminé's familiar room.

When they all quickly arrived at the door, Axel turned around to make sure he wasn't the only one heading in. Happy his little plan worked, he opened the door to a glimpse of the white walls filled with art, and headed in. Next was Naminé, and then the quiet duo.

The keyblade trio took note of the art straight in front of them, noticing there were now three black hooded figures in the picture instead of two. A smile emitted on Axel's face, who then turned towards the two-seated table with his friends.

Roxas's heart skipped a beat when he saw one of the seats was already taken by a boy with silver hair.

_Oh._

Roxas's hand went flying onto Xion's wrist, its grip tight. Likewise, he felt the girl rub against him for protection, her head reminding her of the nightmare. The memory of the bridge.

"Hey, it's been a while." the opposing boy greeted, standing up from his chair.

"Riku, what a surprise." Axel muttered, surprised at the hostility of his close friends. Naminé promptly made her way closer to Riku, to the point where she was a far distance between both groups.

"What do you want?" Roxas growled, the flames in his eyes threatening Riku to step closer. They might have been on the same beach, but he stayed far away from him that day.

"To talk about Sora." Riku replied, a frown appearing on his face. Roxas remained silent along with the rest of the room. "We may have found a keyblade that could help us in the search for him." Riku started, analyzing the two fearful bodies across from him. "But...the plans to find him have been delayed for now due to Yen Sid's recovery taking time. So, we won't be needing you guys for a while." he finished to everyone.

"I figured it would take a while." Axel said out loud, thinking of Kairi. He hadn't visited her in a while. But, his sad thoughts of Kairi were put on hold as his hostile friend quickly took priority.

"In the meantime, Roxas, I thought we could—"

"No." Roxas interrupted Riku in a tone of severity.

"You wouldn't even want to be my short-term training partner?" Riku grunted, maintaining full eye contact with the boy.

"I already kicked your ass once." Roxas said with fire, causing Naminé to stray away farther away from him.

"You did what?" A baffled Axel questioned, finally inserting himself into the dispute.

"Roxas, stop! Why can't you admit you made a mistake?!" Naminé uncharacteristically bursted, quieting most of the room. But that didn't save her.

"Naminé, how would you know it was a mistake? You weren't even there." Roxas retorted, bringing her into this.

"Riku told me about it, and you hurt him...how is that not a mistake?" Naminé asked, her concern for Riku showing.

"Naminé—"

"I did it for Xion!" Roxas cut Riku off once again, emotions he hadn't felt in forever releasing from him. "He tried to get rid of her, but in the end, I was forced to...then he came after me hours later. He took everything from me! And you expect me—".

"I need to go.".

The strong words of Xion paused Roxas's rant, the rooms attention now on the girl with one of her hands on her head, the other rubbing the water dripping from her closed eyes.

"Xion wait—"

But before anyone could stop her, the door slammed shut.

A hundred thoughts filled the silent room, about half of them worried ones. Roxas took one more look at the silver-haired boy, then the blonde girl standing next to him, and after a pause, left the room.

"Lea…?" Riku questioned, looking over at the fellow keyblade holder. His head was down towards the ground, and his eyes widened.

_He was forced to kill her...and that's how…_

"Why does the truth always hurt?".

Naminé and Riku maintained silence as the red spiky haired boy walked across the floor and out the door, leaving the room to the both of them. Naminé stood frozen, a massive feeling of guilt rushing through her.

"What have I done…?".

* * *

Roxas's descent into the lower mansion was a quick one. His head managed to shadow all of the past hatred and confusion he had his first time walking down the hidden stairs, as Xion was much more important. To his luck, he did remember the simple layout of the different rooms.

Turning the corner, he observed the half-open door to the computer room, pushing it enough so he could get by. And in there, his heart dropped when his eyes made their way towards the desk.

There sat a lonely Xion, her head face down in her arms, which laid atop the keyboard he once destroyed. He heard sniffles escaping her nose, and saw her stomach moving in and out faster than it should.

Roxas made his way over in the blink of an eye, carefully placing his hands on the girl's shoulders. She didn't flinch this time.

"Roxas…" Xion mumbled, picking her head up to the familiar touch.

The two stared deep into each other, thinking of the actions they both took that horrific day. They'd never addressed it.

"Xion, I—"

Roxas was interrupted by a lunging Xion, putting him off balance. Her arms wrapped around him, and her head faced against his chest, looking downwards. This had been their solution for days now...but it was different this time.

The visions of their fight wouldn't go away, nor would the visions of her fading away.

Still, Roxas kept her tight in his grasp, his 'mistake' plaguing his mind. Everything in him wanted to deny what he did was wrong, only because of Riku.

What if he succeeded? What if he was able to reach Xemnas and end it all there, bringing his friends back?

_But how would I have done that…_

"You still have scars from it." Xion voiced, breaking him out of his imagination.

"They're nothing." Roxas stated but froze on the inside when her red eyes finally looked up at him.

"They're permanent, Roxas…".

"And you two are both temporary.". The troubled couple's attention turned towards the familiar newcomer, his expression matching theirs. "I don't know what happened, between you two or Riku...but i'm not going to let the past destroy my best friends.".

"Axel…" Xion muttered, letting go of Roxas. The fiery red hair of Axel got closer to his two awkward standing companions who looked lost than ever before.

"I um...hurt you both in the past. A lot." Axel began, looking at the doorway to the room of his demise. "_But_...you both forgave—or are tolerating—me.".

"You're different than him." Roxas argued, with Xion staying silent next to him.

"Am I?" a curious Axel questioned, Roxas's eye twitching at the obvious answer to his question. Axel hesitated before speaking his next few words.

"Roxas, you're angry Riku did to you what you did to us.".

Roxas's mouth opened to argue but closed at the feeling of the lecturer's hand on his shoulder. "And that's fine.".

Xion tilted her head at Axel's contradictory words, retelling them to herself.

"I can't forgive him.".

"Listen Rox—"

"Did you forgive Saix? After what he did to all of us?" Roxas retorted, mentioning Axel's old friend. Axel paused, the fire in Roxas's eyes still strong, reminding him too much of the day he left the organization for good.

"No…". Axel's head naturally ended up in the direction of Xion, as it always did when that name was mentioned. "Isa isn't Riku.".

Small remorse made its way to Roxas for using the former blue-haired torturer to gain leverage, but his point still stood. At least, in his mind.

Axel started to pace around the room, trying to let the heat die down. Searching through his minds for explainable solutions, his feet stopped when he looped back around to where he was standing. Next to Xion.

"Roxas...if Xion were to disapp—". Axel stopped himself, mentally apologizing to her and then correcting his mistake. "If Xion were to lose all her memories, and the only way to get them back was to harm someone who was in a group that was dedicated to keeping those memories away from her…" he theorized, making it even more personal.

"Would you go after that person to save her?".

Xion remained mute, tensing up at the question. Her presence made his answer spit out instantly, and confidently.

"Yes.".

A smile between one of the three appeared, the first one in what felt like ages ago.

"Riku was put in that situation. He chose to go after his target." Axel clarified. "Got it memorized?".

"I know why he did it Axel." Roxas replied, picturing his other missing self. "Just he—"

"Do you have a grudge against Sora too?! Or perhaps Naminé?" Axel interrupted, his patience running low.

"He treated us like we wanted to take Sora's memories! And he went after Xion first." Roxas let out, remembering the beginning of the end. "Do you not remember how she acted when she came back?!".

"...I came back voluntarily.". Xion's voice paused the two, who were beginning to forget she was even there. More so, they nearly forgot the reason they came down here. "Just, I was hurting you. Draining your energy...".

"Xion…".

"You both were destined to fall." Axel told them the truth they both knew. "Hell, being in the organization, so was I.".

The group's separate disappearances lurked in their minds, the anger in the air subsiding.

"But we're back now." Axel finished.

The three gazed at each other, quietness making its way back to the room. Although this time, it was a calm quietness.

"I'm sorry for worrying you guys." Xion said, sounding ashamed of herself. "It's just…".

"It's okay Xion." Axel comforted her, remembering all her troubles the other day. Yet, he watched her concerned body tread towards the distressed blonde, placing a hand on his wrist.

"I'm glad you're here." Xion's light voice told him, her touch gentle as could be. "I'd be lost without you…". Roxas's eyes met back with her watery vision, his heart slowing down.

"Xion...let's just…" Roxas started, beginning to hug the girl. "Let's just put that behind us…".

"I-i'm so sor-sorry." the girl stuttered, thinking of how close she was to doing what Riku succeeded in.

"Do-don't be…".

Tears slowly began to drop down the couple's faces, their grasp on each other unbreakable. Axel's warm arms wrapped around the two, bringing them into his chest almost exactly like he did in the labyrinth.

He missed them, and it was times like this that made him wonder how he survived so long without them. They were his life; he'd protect them till the very end. Whether it be from the past, or whatever dangers the future held.

The three let out all the pain, anger, and tears their bodies held with each other, using their love to soothe all the loose ends that haunted them.

* * *

A knock on the door distracted the two silent souls from the art on the walls, their blank expressions looking first at each other, and then the entrance. Naturally, the silver-haired boy rose with caution, expecting the worst. Putting his left hand on the doorknob, he begun to twist it, leaving his right hand open for a keyblade summoning.

He was surprised to be greeted by a former opponent with ice cream.

"Hey, Riku." the visitor said, passing by the door holder. "Naminé...".

The girl stood up at the sad tone to her name, joining the two near the door and placing her disgruntled figure in front of the boy with ice cream. To him, it was very similar to their stare-down earlier, just up close.

"Roxas...is that for—". Naminé's head turned down to the ground, cutting herself off. Shortly after, it made its way back up again. "Where's Xion?".

It took one word for Roxas to finally understand her anger. The name that never failed to make his heart race.

"She's um…". Scratching his head, Roxas remembered why he was here. "We were wondering if you wanted to meet us up on the clock tower.". His hands exchanged the sea-salt ice cream with each other, so that he had one in each hand, and then extended his arms forward towards the two.

But the ice cream remained vacant to them.

"Now why would we do that?" Riku's baffled mind asked, remembering their outburst not even an hour before. Roxas's tone against an innocent Naminé irked Riku like nothing else.

"Uh, well…". Roxas took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and spoke his heart.

"I'm sorry. For earlier." he confessed.

"Just for earlier?" Naminé asked in a rather smart pitch. Roxas blinked at the question.

"What?" he questioned, watching as Riku put his hand on Naminé's shoulder.

"It's just, you need to put that fight behind you. You were seconds away from attacking me." Riku stated, pushing Roxas farther back mentally to where he was.

"We came back to this mansion to see Naminé, not _you_." the blonde boy admitted. "And you waited until now to tell me anything about the plans for Sora.".

"What does that have to do with what happened?" Naminé questioned, cutting in on their discussion.

"It looks like i'm not the only one who isn't over it." Roxas rolled his eyes.

"But you…" Naminé started but stopped. One last time, Roxas stared straight into the girl he once spent time with in that horrible simulation, and let out a sigh as Riku's form turned into one of protection.

"Forget it." Roxas muttered.

Riku and Naminé paused at the sentence Roxas's missing opposite would never say and watched him toss the two ice cream sticks onto the table. A dark portal opened behind him, his back turning around.

"That's your walk?" Riku inquired.

"Unlike you, I'm not afraid of the darkness." Roxas smirked, then walked through, leaving the room to the two stunned figures once again.

* * *

The normal beautiful view of the clocktower was polluted by clouds, but the trio didn't care. They were too focused on the ice cream and the eventful day that lingered with every bite.

"So, how did it go?" Axel questioned Roxas, who shook his head sideways as an answer. Xion's heart sunk low at the sight of the saddened blonde, the feeling of guilt bothering her as much as it did him.

"I hope they'll understand." she wished, turning both of the boy's attention to her.

"Nothing was your fault." Roxas assured her.

"Yeah, but…Naminé." Xion replied, upset they couldn't even hang out with her like they planned. "I hope she's okay.".

"She'll be fine with Riku." Axel cut in, watching his friends' ice cream melt.

"Yeah." Roxas agreed, thinking of Naminé's attitude towards him.

Xion remained quiet for the following bit of time, taking occasional licks of her ice cream. Naminé had gone through hell and back, of course she would be fine. But, Xion couldn't help but wonder if Naminé was like her, haunted by the past. At least she wasn't alone now.

A yawn escaped the black-haired girl, she'd find out eventually. The two next to her watched as she stretched her body out, laying down so her back was against the pavement, and her face was towards the sky. "What do you guys want to do tomorrow?" she asked, placing the stick that held her ice cream down on the ground next to her.

Axel shrugged his shoulders, focusing on the moment at hand. He was just happy to see the girl relaxed after earlier, with her mind set on the future instead of the past for once.

"We could go to the beach again." Roxas suggested.

"That sounds nice.".

Xion swung her sleepy eyes open to the new voice, turning her head to see the legs of two different arrivals.

The trio with ice cream watched the two carefully take their seats next to Xion, the girl in a white dress trying her hardest to make sure she didn't misstep. Once she was situated, the boy that arrived with her placed his arm around her back, ensuring she didn't fall.

The pleasant looks of the three former organization members were enough to make the mansion dwellers feel at home, even with the earlier arguments still lurking in the back of their minds. But there were no dirty gazes between either of the blondes, nor were there any threatening ones from their friends.

There was only peace.

Axel kicked his foot up to rest his arm on his knee, Roxas soon found himself laid back to match Xion, and the two next to her sat comfortably in each other's grasp. The smooth movement of the clouds reminded them all that this was _real_.

After what felt like forever, the light behind the clouds began to fade. Axel woke his two sleeping friends to the sound of Naminé's giggling, embarrassment still finding its way to the obvious couple.

"Did we bore you?" Riku joked, reaching both of his hands down to the two. Xion and Roxas looked at each other first, giving each other a mental sanction, and then accepted Riku's help up.

"Thanks." the duo told him simultaneously. A yawning Naminé gave everyone the signal to head out, her lack of energy taking over her previous fear of falling. Riku turned back around to her and led the way down the clocktower with Naminé, everyone following suite behind them.

Saying their goodbyes, the trio joyfully split away from their rekindled allies and headed down one of the many roads of Twilight Town. Shortly after, Axel waved goodbye to his best friends and went on to his fulfill his own agenda of sleep after the long day.

Roxas and Xion continued to walk as one, refusing to split. An hour later, they would find themselves asleep again in each other's arms, washing all their past worries away.

For they would likely have more worries in the future, problems that could take days to solve, or even weeks. But that didn't stress them anymore.

The sea-salt trio would solve them together, till the very end.

* * *

The sea-salt trio will always be my favorite group of characters in the series, their story was so sad and amazing to me. and roxas/xion are just so lovable.

Thank you for all the kind reviews, ffn is weird so it doesn't let me reply like it does on ao3. Also, I made a twitter and thought it would be good for posting updates, it's waterbirds_ if you wanna follow.

Hope you enjoyed!


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